When I was in my late 20’s, I was invited to work with a Nordic communications company. This business would, over time, become notorious, famous and very successful. Their original flag the Skull & Crossbones. It said it all. I had spoken to the founder on the phone, “come for a month, see what happens” […]

Passage for Par is a dance performance created specially for and presented on Par Beach Cornwall, conceived and directed by choreographer Rosemary Lee for the Cornish International Art Programme GroundWork. At the turn of the tide 30 women will rhythmically snake their way across the tidal landscape, tracing meandering pathways through the wet sand, their […]

Because beauty and great design appear to be so effortless, we mistake it to be easy. Or, that genius was bestowed upon its creators by some divine spirit. There is no doubt we all have gifts. But it is only when we practise daily that we develop the capacity to see, design and create work […]

I have been invited to speak at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 15th August 1018. Whitespace, Norloch House, 36 King’s Stables Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2EU Tickets available here. Our Future is Made and Finished in Beauty The human spirit needs beauty and will do anything given half a chance to get more of it. As Emerson […]

The lens of beauty enables more thoughtful design. It inspires the crafting of more meaningful products and services. It creates a resilient business, with a more committed workforce. Beautiful leadership brings out the very best in people so they feel inspired to do their best work. Beauty is not a soft option, it takes hard […]

In the 1980’s I worked on an Anselm Kiefer project with the Anthony d’Offay Gallery called Zweistromland, or The High Priestesss. Two massive steel bookcases furnished with books made from one of Kiefer’s favourite materials, lead. They made for an incredible installation. Why were they made? ‘I suspect that the human species – the unique […]

We all know a lot. How does knowledge feel? And how do you feel that you know? How do you feel what you know? How do your feelings feel? Your felt feeling! Consult your feeling of being disconnected and being connected, Being indifferent or committed. Does feeling connected make you more empathetic? Does empathy […]

In my book “Do Design. Why beauty is key to everything“, I write about Tashi Mannox and the importance of stillness as a key role in how we work. A concept that can be applied to our daily life, I believe. Tashi Mannox had become a Tibetan monk at the age of 22, spending 17 […]

The poet Seamus Heaney was a master craftsman of the English language. He embodied the other important characteristics of craftsmanship: a granite-like integrity and a deep empathy for the world around him. A quest for truth is always core to the purpose of a poet, to seek that which others do not see and to […]

What would your business look like were it more beautiful? I have always been fascinated by beautiful things: landscape, architecture, furniture, tools, books, music, words as stories, food, businesses. Beautiful things are prepared with love. The act of creating something of beauty is a way of bringing good into the world. Infused with optimism, it […]